Means for the storage of goods



Dec. 8, 1959 A. E. R. ARNOT 2,916,141

mus FOR THE STORAGE 0F coon's Filed Aug. 20. 1956 ra-#- o a! NTon $6 ALFRED ERARNQT ATTORKEY United States Patent ce MEANS FOR THE STORAGE OF GOODS Alfred Erwin Reginald Arnot, Basingstoke, England, as-

signor to Emmanuel Kaye and John Reginald Sharp, both of Basingstoke, England Application August 20, 1956, Serial No. 604,871

Claims priority, application Great Britain August '19, 1955 6 Claims. (Cl. 206-46) This invention comprises improvements in or relating to means for the storage of goods.

It is an object of the invention to provide a storage container for goods which are fragile or need protection from atmospheric conditions which permits the goods to be stored for lengthy periods without deterioration and if necessary to be examined from time to time or tested to make sure that they are still in good condition, without unduly disturbing the goods.

To this end according to the present invention a box pallet is provided, comprising in combination a box having a closure, means to facilitate lifting the box in a horizontal position by a fork-truck, and means for controlling or testing the internal atmospheric condition of the box. By packing goods in box pallets in this manner and taking care to condition the atmosphere therein, the goods may be stored for long periods without it being necessary as'hitherto, where such goods are stacked in the open or in means which do not afford adequate protection, to seal and atmospherically condition the whole store in which they lie. The means for atmospherically conditioning the interior of the box pallet include means for sealing the closure to the box so as to prevent the passage of substantial quantities of atmospheric moisture; indeed if the goods are packed in the boxes under conditions of suitably dry and pure air, it is possible, if the closure is provided with sufficiently good sealing means, to store the goods without further precautions other than keeping'the temperature of the store within reasonable limits. In many cases, however, it may be desirable to include, within the box pallet, conditioning means such for example as a desiccant or to provide means for the admission'into the pallet of inert gas or for ensuring that the goods are'stored under reduced atmospheric pressure or the like.

The invention is particularly valuable for the storage of articles suchas guided missiles which have to be kept in store for a long period and must be protected from deterioration. Another type of article which can conveniently be stored in box pallets according to the present invention is jet engines, but other goods such for example as television or radar apparatus or foodstuffs and chemicals which may require to be stored for lengthy periods can also be kept in this way.

In one form the box is of rounded cross-section and the means to facilitate lifting the box comprises two flattened portions at its underside, for example two inverted troughs extending across the box let into its underside.

Preferably the side of the box along which the closure extends is the top side and this is convex, the closure comprising a curved top sufficiently flexible to be capable of conforming to sealing means on the. box around the edges of the closure. The top may for example be secured in closed position by a sliding clasp type of fastener around its edges, in which case the material of the top must be sufiiciently flexible for the use of such a fastener. Such a flexible closure may be supported when closed jections of maximum radius on the missile such as the 2,916,141 Patented Dec. 8, 19 59 ing cradles adapted to fit the goods, which cradles rest on supporting cushions of yielding material of shock absorbers so as to cushion shocks when the pallet is handled.

.When the goods to be stored are of circular crosssection, the cradles may carry rollers or other anti-friction members to engage the goods and permit them to be turned over easily by rotation in situ.

A further feature of the invention comprises a box pallet of the character above described having fittings to enable it to engage another similar pallet above or below and to fit therewith so that the pallets may be stacked above one another in tiers.

The following is a description by way of example of one construction in accordance with the invention, reference being made to the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a general perspective view with p'art of the closure of the pallet shown being broken away;

Figure 2 is a cross-section;

Figure 3 is a perspective view of an end portion of two pallets stacked one above another showing the method of stacking, and

Figure 4 is a perspective view of an end portion of a pallet showing certain possible modifications.

Referring to Figures 1 and 2, a box pallet is provided comprising a cylindrical metallic body portion 11 which in use extends horizontally and which is large enough to enclose within it a guided missile 12. The internal diameter of the cylindrical body portion 11 is sufficient to allow space for cushioning deflection around the pro- Across the underside of the body 11 there extend two inverted trough-like portions 14which are spaced apart sufficiently to fit over the forks of a fork truck, such as the forks 15, 16 shown in chain lines on a truck 17 in Figure 1. Brackets 18, 19 on the underside of the body 11 of the box pallet carry ground-engaging rollers 20, 21 arranged in pairs, two at one end and two at the other. The rollers 20 at the forward end run on fixed axes in the brackets 18, but the rollers 21 at the rearward end are carried on castor mountings 22. The rollers permit the" pallet to be moved about easily over the ground and the troughs 14 permit it to be lifted easily by a fork truck into any desired position in a store.

The top side of the cylindrical body portion 11 is cut away almost to the entire length of the pallet to afford an opening for the insertion of the guided missile 12, which opening can be covered by a plastic closure 25 which is permanently secured along one edge to the metallic body portion 11 and is capable of being wrapped over the opening therein and secured along the two ends, and its other edges by a sliding clasp type of fastener as shown at 26, 27, 28. In order to support the flexible closure 25, removable ribs 29 are provided which fit on to ledges 30 formed by bending back the metal of the container as shown in Figure 2. Preferably, inspection windows 31 are provided in the plastic closure. After the closure has been secured in position by the sliding clasp fasteners if necessary it may be further sealed by covering the sliding clasp fasteners with strips of adhesive tape made from a suitable plastic.

The length of the opening which is covered by the closure 25 is made sufiicient to permit the missile 12 to be lowered into the pallet from above in a horizontal position. Within the pallet it rests on cradles 32 shown in Figure 2. Each cradle is supported on a sponge rubber 3 cushion 33 and the cushions are carried on hollow sheet metal supports 34 welded along the lower side portions of the pallet inside the body 11.

As the guided missile 12 is of CiICllltfClOSS-SBCHOH and it is desirable to inspect it easily all over, it is preferably supported on rollers 35 carried by the cradles 32. This permits it to be easily turned over. Straps 36 extend from eyes 37 at one side of the cradles across the top of the missile 12 to quick acting clamps 38 attached to eyes 39 on the other side of the cradle. At the ends of the pallet there may be disposed large pads 40 of sponge rubber to cushion movement endwise of the missile within its container. Being of sponge rubber these pads can be compressed when the missile is being put in place and will expand again when the material of the pad has got past the nose or tail of the pallet so as to engage it firmly and yet resiliently. The pads may either be secured to the interior of the ends of the pallet or they may be put in place. after the missile has been inserted.

On each end of the container 11 there is a socket 41 for a stacking bracket shown in Figure 3. When a container '11 has been placed in store, a stacking bracket 42 can be inserted in the socket 41 at each end of the pallet. The bracket 42 consists of an upright tubular metal portion of rectangular section, as viewed in plan, to which is welded a hollow meal cradle 43, adapted to carry a second pallet 11 above the first. Several pallets can in this way be stored one above another and the result is a very economic use of storage space.

Figure 4 shows an alternative construction in which the pallets 11 can be stored on rails 45. To this end, each of the ends of each pallet carries two projecting flanged rollers 46 which are adapted to run on the rails 45.

Figure 4 also shows a possible position for a desiccant container 47; for a plug socket 48 which may be connected to testing cables inside the pallet adapted to be connected tothe missile; for pressure and humidity indicators 49, 50; for tap 51 for filling the pallet if desired with an inert gas; and for a lever 53 which may be coupled to mechanisms on the projectile for the purpose of testing during storage.

The pallet may also be used as an assembly jig for the uniting of the nose, body and tail sections of the missile by providing supports for each section separately. These supports hold each section in correct alignment for assembly and are cushioned either independently or together.

I elaim:

1. A box pallet comprising in combination an elongated box having a convex top side thereto, an opening in said top side, a flexible closure extending along said top side over said opening, said closure having a curved top thereon, sliding clasp sealing means on the box around the edges of the opening, said closure being sufficiently flexible to conform to the sealing means, means on the box adapted to coact with the lifting means of a fork truck to facilitate lifting'of the box in a horizontal position and further means on the box for regulating the internal atmospheric conditioning of the box.

2. A pallet as claimed in claim 1, wherein the closure is supported, when closed, by removable rigid ribs which are located within the box and extend across the opening under the closure whereby said ribs extend over the goods stored therein.

3. A box pallet as claimed in claim 1, further having socket means on the box adapted to be engageable with bracket means in secured relationship, said bracket means being adapted to receive another similar box pallet for stacking in a vertical tier.

4. A box pallet adapted to store goods having a circular cross section comprising in combination an elongated box having an opening in one side, means on the box adapted to coact with the lifting means of a fork truck to facilitate lifting of the box in a horizontal position, a plurality of supports secured to the inside of the box, shock absorbing supporting cushions mounted on said supports, goods supporting cradles resting on said cushions and anti-friction members on said cradles adapted to fit goods whereby said anti-friction members are stored within the box and to permit said goods to be turned over easily in situ.

5. A box pallet as claimed in claim 4, wherein the antifriction members are rollers.

6. A box pallet as claimed in claim 4 further having socket means on the box adapted to be engageable with bracket means in secured relationship, said bracket means being adapted to receive another similar box pallet for stacking in a vertical tier.

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